New Diet, New You

Submitted by Loring A. Windblad on February 10, 2010

A New Diet For Best Physique

A new diet that is healthy and rich in nutrients can do wonders for you, provided you are patient and stick to the diet without binging on junk food every now and then. It will also take months for the effects of the diet to show, but it will change the way you feel and look in the long run adding years to your lifespan if you have been indulging in a lot of junk food so far.

Depending on your body type, weight and height, a dietician would be able to prescribe the necessary diet for you including the number of calories you ought to consume. If you wish to do this at home, you can calculate your body mass index (BMI) to determine whether your new diet ought to make you gain or lose weight. Weigh yourself first and divide your weight in pounds by your height measured in inches squared.

Now multiply it by 705. If the figure you get is between 25 and 30, it means you are overweight and if it crosses 30, you are probably obese.

If on the other hand you are underweight, your new diet must include proteins in the form of fish, lean meat, legumes, whole grains, pulses, fruits and vegetables. Milk and milk products, unflavored yoghurt and eggs will provide you with some of the essential minerals and vitamins to supplement your diet.

If your body mass index is normal, your new diet is likely to keep you trim and healthy. Before embarking on any new diet it is essential that you take into account any medical conditions you may be suffering from and if consuming certain foods is likely to harm you.

Experts advise organic food as an essential component of one’s daily diet as these are vegetable and meat products that have been untouched by pesticides, steroids, growth hormones, animal bi-products or antibiotics. If unavailable, the fruits and vegetables in your new diet must be washed thoroughly and soaked in salt water for a few hours before you consume them.

Avoid alcohol, smoking (even passive smoking), drugs and artificial beverages as this will throw your new diet out of balance apart from being hazardous to health.

Avoid high calorie food as well such as butter, chocolates and ice cream. Rice and potatoes can also be minimized as they are high calorie food products rich in carbohydrates.

A new diet must also be accompanied by regular exercise such as brisk walking. Do not, however, overdo it and it would be advisable to get professional advice on the kind of exercise you require again depending on your body type.